Part of various local empires since being inhabited in the 2nd century AD, Singapore hosted a trading post of the busiest ports in the world. The economy depends heavily on exports and refining imported goods, especially in manufacturing, which constituted 26% of Singapore’s GDP in 2005.

Singapore is a People’s Action Party has won every election since self-government in 1959, and governs on the basis of a strong state and prioritising collective welfare over individual rights such as freedom of speech.

History

The earliest known settlement on Singapore was in the second century AD. It was an outpost of the SumatranSrivijaya empire, named Temasek (‘sea town’). Between the 16th and early 19th centuries, it was part of the Sultanate of Johor. In 1613, Portuguese raiders burnt down the settlement and the island sank into obscurity for the next two centuries.[11]

Singapore’s first general election in 1955 was won by the pro-independence David Marshall, leader of the Labour Front. Demanding complete self-rule he led a delegation to London but was turned down by the British. He resigned when he returned and was replaced by Lim Yew Hock, whose policies convinced Britain to grant Singapore full internal self-government for all matters except defence and foreign affairs.[18]

Government and politics

Executive power rests with the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister, and the President.[20] The president is elected through popular vote, and has some veto powers for a few key decisions such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of judges, but otherwise occupies a ceremonial post.[29]

The Parliament serves as the legislative branch of government.[20] Members of Parliament (MPs) consist of elected, non-constituency and nominated members. Elected MPs are voted into parliament on a “first-past-the-post” (plurality) basis and represent either single-member or group-representation constituencies.[30] The People’s Action Party has won control of Parliament with large majorities in every election since self-governance was secured in 1959.[26] However, in the most recent parliamentary elections in 2011, the opposition, led by the Workers’ Party, made significant gains and increased its representation in the House to 6 elected MPs.[31]

Economy

Before independence in 1965, Singapore was the capital of the British [57]

Today, Singapore has a highly developed Corruption Perceptions Index, Singapore is consistently ranked as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, along with New Zealand and the Scandinavian countries.

Singapore is the 14th largest exporter and the 15th largest importer in the world. The country has the highest trade-to-GDP ratio in the world at 407.9 percent, signifying the importance of trade to its economy. The country is currently the only Asian country to have AAA credit ratings from all three major credit rating agencies – [66]

Singapore has the world’s highest percentage of millionaires, with one out of every six households having at least one million US dollars in disposable wealth. This excludes property, businesses, and luxury goods, which if included would further increase the number of millionaires, especially as property in Singapore is among the world’s most expensive.[91]

Acute poverty is rare in Singapore; the government has rejected the idea of a generous welfare system, stating that each generation must earn and save enough for its entire life cycle. There are, however, numerous means-tested ‘assistance schemes’ provided by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports in Singapore for the needy, including some that pay out SGD 400 to SGD 1000 per month to each needy household, free medical care at government hospitals, money for children’s school fees, rental of studio apartments for SGD 80 a month, training grants for courses, etc.[96]

Foreign relations

Singapore’s foreign policy is directed to maintaining a secure environment in Southeast Asia as well as the surrounding territories. An underlying principle is political and economic stability in the region.[100]

In general, bilateral relations with other ASEAN members are strong; however, disagreements have arisen,[104]

Military

The Singaporean military is arguably the most technologically advanced in Southeast Asia.[113]

On independence, Singapore had two infantry regiments commanded by British officers. This force was considered too small to provide effective security to the new country, so the development of the military became a priority.[115]

Singapore has conscription for all able-bodied males at age 18, except those with a criminal record or who can prove that their loss would bring hardship to their families. Males who have yet to complete pre-university education or are awarded the Public Service Commission scholarship can opt to defer their draft. Though not required to perform military service, the number of women in the SAF has been increasing: since 1989 they have been allowed to fill military vocations formerly reserved for men. Before induction into a specific branch of the armed forces, recruits undergo at least 9 weeks of basic military training.[121]

Because of the scarcity of open land on the main island, training involving activities such as live firing and amphibious landings is often carried out on smaller islands, typically barred to civilian access. This also avoids risk to the main island and the city. However, large-scale drills are considered too dangerous to be performed in the area, and since 1975 have been performed in [112]

Due to airspace and land constraints, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) maintains a number of overseas bases in Australia, the United States, and France. The RSAF’s 130 Squadron is based in [127]

The SAF has sent forces to assist in operations outside the country in areas such as Iraq[112]

Religion

Buddhism is the most widely practised religion in Singapore, with 33% of the resident population declaring themselves adherents at the most recent census. The next most practised religion is Christianity, followed by Islam, Taoism and Hinduism. 17% of the population did not have a religious affiliation. The proportion of Christians, Taoists and non-religious people increased between 2000 and 2010 by about 3% each, whilst the proportion of Buddhists decreased. Other faiths remained largely stable in their share of the population.[145]

There are monasteries and Dharma centres from all three major traditions of Buddhism in Singapore: [147]

Languages

Singapore has four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil.[149] English is the common language of the nation and is the language of business, government and medium of instruction in schools.[150][151]Public bodies in Singapore conduct their businesses in English, and official documents written in a non-English official language such as Chinese, Malay or Tamil typically have to be translated into English to be accepted for submission. The Singapore Constitution and all laws are written in English,[152] and translators are also required if one wishes to address the Singaporean Courts in a language other than English.[153][154] However, English is the native tongue for only one-third of all Singaporeans, with roughly a third of all Singaporean Chinese, a quarter of all Singaporean Malays and half of all Singaporean Indians speaking it as their native tongue. Twenty percent of Singaporeans, or one out of every five, is unable to read or write in English.[155][145]

Many, but not all, Singaporeans are bilingual in English and another official language, with vastly varying degrees of fluency. The various official languages ranked in terms of literacy amongst Singaporeans are: English (80% literacy), Mandarin Chinese (65% literacy), Malay (17% literacy) and Tamil (4% literacy).[158]

Chinese is the language which is spoken as their native tongue by the greatest number of Singaporeans, half of them.[160]

Malay was chosen as the “national language” by the Singaporean government after independence from Britain in the 1960s to avoid friction with Singapore’s neighbours — Malaysia and Indonesia — both of which are Malay-speaking.[161] It has a symbolic rather than functional purpose.[149][162][163] It is used in the national anthem “Majulah Singapura“[164] and in military commands. Today, in general, Malay is spoken within the Singaporean Malay community, with only 16.8% of all Singaporeans literate in Malay[165] and only 12% using it as their native language.[148]

Around 100,000 or 3% of Singaporeans speak Tamil as their native language.[148] Even though only Tamil has official status, there have been no attempts to discourage the use or spread of other Indian languages.[166]

Education

Education for primary, secondary, and tertiary levels is mostly supported by the state. All institutions, private and public, must be registered with the Ministry of Education.[173]

Education takes place in three stages: primary, secondary, and pre-university education. Only the primary level is compulsory. Students begin with six years of primary school, which is made up of a four-year foundation course and a two-year orientation stage. The curriculum is focused on the development of English, the mother tongue, and maths.[178]

Some schools have a degree of freedom in their curriculum and are known as autonomous schools. These exist from the secondary education level.[176]

Educational attainment of non-student Singaporeans above 15 years old in 2005[179]

National examinations are standardised across all schools, with a test taken after each stage. After the first six years of education, students take the [179]

Singaporean students consistently rank in the top five in the world in the two major international assessments of mathematics and science knowledge. Singaporean students were ranked first in the 2011 [183]

Health

Singapore has a generally efficient healthcare system, even with a health expenditure relatively low for developed countries.[186]

The government’s healthcare system is based upon the “3M” framework. This has three components: Medifund, which provides a safety net for those not able to otherwise afford healthcare, Medisave, a compulsory health savings scheme covering about 85% of the population, and Medishield, a government-funded health insurance scheme.[188]

Culture

Singapore is a very diverse and young country. It has many languages, cultures and religions for a country its size.[189] Due to the many different languages and cultures in the country, there is no single set of culturally acceptable behaviours.

When Singapore became independent from the United Kingdom in 1963, most of the newly minted Singaporean citizens were uneducated labourers from China, Malaysia and India. Many of them were transient labourers who were seeking to make some money in Singapore and they had no intentions of staying for good. A sizeable minority of middle-class, local-born people, known as the Peranakans also existed. With the exception of the Peranakans (descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants) who pledged their loyalties to Singapore, most of the labourers’ loyalties lie with their respective homelands of China, Malaysia and India. [190][191] After independence, the process of crafting a Singaporean identity and culture began. Both the former Prime Ministers of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, have stated that Singapore does not fit the traditional description of a nation, calling it a society in transition, pointing out the fact that Singaporeans do not all speak the same language, share the same religion or have the same customs.[189][192] Even though English is the first language of the nation, according to the government’s 2010 census 20% of Singaporeans, or one in five, are illiterate in English. This is a marked improvement from 1990 where 40% of Singaporeans were illiterate in English.[193][194]

Cuisine

Dining, along with shopping, is said to be the country’s national pastime.[209]

Arts

The durian-shaped Esplanade, performing arts centre, stands out in front of the Marina Square area.

Since the 1990s, the government has been promoting Singapore as a centre for arts and culture, in particular the performing arts, and to transform the country into a cosmopolitan “gateway between the East and West”.[215]

Transport

Since Singapore is a small island with a high population density, the number of private cars on the road is restricted so as to curb pollution and congestion. Car buyers must pay for duties one-and-a-half times the vehicle’s market value and bid for a Singaporean [235]